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Violence
Most gun owners agree with background checks on all gun transfers & no future sales of assault-style weapons. Let's do this.
As in many other societies, individuals and groups who find themselves on the margins of Texas society experience the most violence. Examples include the poor, black and brown people, non-English speakers, LGBTQ people, drug users and addicts, the homeless, immigrants, incarcerated people, victims of human trafficking, and females in all these groups.
A capacity for violence is part of the human condition, but state-level policy can make a huge difference in the extent to which it occurs. There is a large and growing body of scientific literature that looks at causes and solutions to violence, and successful models abound from around the world. We need to contribute to and make use of that knowledge. Anything we can do to reduce the marginalization of affected persons and groups will move us in the right direction.
Gun violence is just one form of violence, but it has made a strong impact on Texans recently in the form of mass shootings. As a response, I favor banning sales of assault-style weapons, a voluntary buy-back of such weapons, a "red flag" law, and tracking of all gun sales. As a doctor I welcome the idea of increased resources for Texans struggling with mental health issues, but it is important that this be done in a way that does not stigmatize people. Most gun-owners I know are reasonable people, and I think it is important that Texans from all sides of the issue be invited to the table to help craft solutions.
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